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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27396592">La Vie En Rose</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/MarshmallowMocha/pseuds/MarshmallowMocha'>MarshmallowMocha</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Marshmallow Fluff [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>HLVRAI - Fandom</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>A little angst, Fluff, Happy ending though, M/M, No beta I die, Other, as a treat, injury mention</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 20:33:43</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,529</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27396592</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/MarshmallowMocha/pseuds/MarshmallowMocha</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Times when the song appeared in Gordon and Benrey's life. At least, the most important bits.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Freehoun, Frenrey - Relationship</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Marshmallow Fluff [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2001421</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>80</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>La Vie En Rose</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> The first time Gordon heard this song, it was from his ex, Barney who was such a romantic that it made his teeth hurt just from how sweet the guy would be. It was Barney’s way of asking Gordon for their first date. </p><p>“Gordon!” Barney shouts, his accent cutting through a little out of nervousness, to this day Gordon doesn’t know how but he managed to get La Vie En Rose playing in the Black Mesa™ breakroom, the echoing making it difficult to make out the words of any english song much less the French words being spoken from the outdated speakers. He’s out of breath, having to run over just after clocking out for the night to catch up to the scientist. Even with the strict regime of the security team, a nervous heart still knocks the wind out of someone.</p><p>“Hey, Barney,” Gordon laughs, a smile across his lips and a laugh in his voice, “Why are you- Are you ok? And… what is that? Is that… French? On the radio?”</p><p>“Hm? Oh, right,” He takes in a shaky breath before continuing, “I was wonderin if you’d like to go get some coffee with me sometime?”</p><p>“Don’t we get coffee all the time?” He smirks back, a small chuckle of confusion escapes him.</p><p>“No, I mean… We should go somewhere together. To get to know each other?” Barney sheepishly says, the gentle notes of the song continuing to play.</p><p>“You mean like a party?” He tilts his head, eyebrow raised, “Or do you mean we could hangout with some friends?”</p><p>“Doc, I’m askin you on a date,” He responds back, huffing in frustration.</p><p>“Oh… OH,” Gordon is now blushing profusely, “... oh...”</p><p>“Is… Is that a bad ‘oh’?” </p><p>“NO!” Gordon rambles, “God, no! I just didn’t know!”</p><p>“Is that a yes, then?” </p><p>“Y- Yes!” Gordon nervously laughs, face deep red, “I’d- yeah….”</p><p>“How’s this Saturday sound?” Barney smiles, “I’ll pick you up?”</p><p>“Yeah, ok,” He nods back, “I’d like that.”</p><p>“See you then, doc,” </p><p>---</p><p>“Hey, this is the song that was playing in the break room,” Gordon points out, the music playing on their wedding day, they sway slowly, “When you asked me on our first date?”</p><p>“You remember?” Barney smiles back.</p><p>“Of course,” Gordon laughs heartily, nearly throwing back his head, his suit rides up a little at the action, “That was… God, I was such an idiot.”</p><p>Barney chuckles himself, leaning his head on Gordon’s chest, “Gordon… Darlin, I love you and you’re the smartest person I know but… Sometimes you just focus on the wrong things sometimes… And I love you to bits for that.”</p><p>“I love you too, Barney,” Gordon rests his hand on the other’s cheek and directs him up into a kiss as the song plays on.</p><p>They separate, smiling goofily and blushing hard, still swaying to the song.</p><p>“Hey, Barney. What’s this song called?”</p><p>“La Vie En Rose,”</p><p> </p><p>---</p><p> </p><p>Gordon doesn’t know when, but he’s gotten this song stuck in his head more times than he could count. Maybe it was because of their son, Joshua, who could only fall asleep to the song. He hums it, at work, doing chores, or even in the shower, the song sticks to him like glue.</p><p>He hits replay just to keep Joshua from acting up again, and even after at this time the song hasn’t soured on bit for him. It still holds the sweet airy feeling he got with his first kiss with Barney, even if they’re no longer together.</p><p>He still comes over to help with Joshua, and they switch off once a month to raise the little tyke. They’re even still good friends, sharing stories even if Barney quit working for Black Mesa™, they still like to talk about what goes down in the workplace or what Joshua did during their time apart. </p><p>The song soon wraps up, just as the sun starts to rise and Gordon, feeling sleep deprived, gets ready to start his first day back after paternity leave, dropping off Joshua at Barney’s house.</p><p>Today there’d be a test on his first day back. And he’d be the one performing it.</p><p>---</p><p>The first time Benrey heard the song, it was from Gordon. It had been three days since the ResCas happened and even with his tough exterior, he’d still have his breakdowns. Whatever time it was, the team had determined it was time to rest, cooking up pigeon stew again in the almost abandoned facility.</p><p>Gordon had excused himself, telling the others he had to go to the restroom. He stepped out, walking far enough so the sounds of The Science Team couldn’t be heard, and then he found a corner to cry in.</p><p>He curls up, knees press as close to his chest as he can in his HEV suit and buries his face into his crossed arms. He suppresses his whimpers until he’s all cried out, taking off his gloves to wipe away the snot and tears until he’s satisfied he doesn’t look like he cried as much as he did.</p><p>He leans back, sighing out, then starts to hum the tune ingrained in his mind. The notes now sound more melancholic than anything and his voice is a little hoarse still but the notes still echo throughout this part of the building, bouncing off the metal walls and reverberating beautifully. </p><p>Benrey had come to check on him a while ago but opted not to say anything, instead watching on from beyond the boundaries of the game.</p><p>Gordon soon wraps up, replaces his gloves and goes back to the group. Benrey still stares at the corner in awe, not moving an inch for quite a while after the song no longer echoed in the halls.</p><p>---</p><p>They had asked Tommy, all knowing Tommy, if he knew what the song was.</p><p>“La Vie En Rose,” Tommy nods, accent immaculate, “Why?”</p><p>They don’t respond, only with a shrug and a noise of confusion and then walk away before any further questioning could take place and before their Sweet Voice™ bubbled over.</p><p>They then googled it, and played it far away from the other’s, listening to the lyrics and taking in it’s melody once more the tinny phone speaker not doing Gordon’s voice justice in their opinion.</p><p>They memorized it, listening to it over and over again. If only to have a piece of their crush. Something they can share.</p><p>---</p><p>Benrey sings this to him, his crush who’s dying on the floor.</p><p>It’s their fault, and he wanted to give them something.</p><p>The stump is bandaged and treated but blood still seeps through the bandages uselessly and clinging to anything he leans on like a damp sponge pressing against paper leaving signs of his presence.</p><p>Their healing beam wasn’t working properly, normally only needing a single note, so they sang the song they etched into themselves to try and get it to work.</p><p>It doesn't work so they sing it again.</p><p>And again.</p><p>And again.</p><p>And again.</p><p>---</p><p>Gordon hated hearing the song again. It had always been a reminder of what he used to have and while before it was nice and nostalgic now it was a constant reminder of what he's lost. A missing piece of something he'll never get back from Black Mesa™.</p><p>Not until Benrey sang it to them on that snowy day.</p><p>Then, he practically started to beg for it from them, nagging them whenever he got the chance.</p><p>"Ben," He said, yawning hard into his hand, bedhead prominent and pajamas askew on his large frame, "I can't sleep, can you sing to me?"</p><p>They look up from their game of Heavenly Swords for the PlayStation™ in confusion, before realization clicks and a large grin is spread across their face. </p><p>"Lil' uhhh…" They punctuate their pause with a couple of lip smacks, "Lil babyman needs a- needs a lullaby from- from his best friend Benrey?"</p><p>Gordon looks on unamused, then gives a small smirk to them back, crossing his arms, "Benrey, if you don't want cuddles that's fine, I'll just-"</p><p>"Cuddles?" Benrey practically springs forward, rushing up to their roommate, excited Sweet Voice™ filling the air with it’s lovely shades of orange to yellow.</p><p>"Yes, Cu- Wait, is that my shirt?" Gordon interrupts himself to take the cloth in between his fingers and pull out the fabric to get a better look. It's an old battered shirt, one from his days at MIT and Benrey is swimming in it.</p><p>"Whuh?" They feign ignorance.</p><p>"Looks good on you," Gordon teases before grabbing onto their hand, "C'mon already."</p><p>(Mostly) Ignoring their flourish of pink to blue Sweet Voice™, they both sit down on Gordon’s bed, working their way together to spoon. Benrey holds Gordon close to them, running their hands through his hair and gently detangling it. As comfortable the silence is for both of them, Benrey fulfills the other's wishes and starts to sing.</p><p>La Vie En Rose sung using Sweet Voice™ sounds more synthetic like an instrument than actual singing but it quickly lulls Gordon to sleep.</p><p>Benrey would sing for him again and again until the end of time.</p><p>And again.</p><p>And again.</p><p>And again.</p>
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